1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to radio telecommunication systems and, more particularly, to a system and method in a radio telecommunications network for accessing and changing a mobile subscriber's service features through a roamer port.
2. Description of Related Art
In existing radio telecommunication networks, a mobile subscriber may utilize his mobile telephone (i.e. mobile station) to access the network and change his subscriber service features. In some situations, the subscriber may wish to change his service features, but he does not want to utilize, or cannot utilize his mobile station. For example, his battery may be dead, he may not have his mobile station with him, or he just may not want to pay the charge for a mobile call. In such a situation, it would be desirable to be able to change his mobile subscriber service features from a standard wireline telephone or from another mobile station.
In existing radio telecommunication networks, however, there is no way for a mobile subscriber to access and change his service features from a telephone other than his own mobile station. In the situation where the subscriber's mobile station is inoperative, the mobile subscriber is then unable to make outgoing calls or receive incoming calls, and he cannot access his service features, for example to activate call forwarding to a wireline phone where he can be reached. Additionally, in the situation where the mobile subscriber roams outside his home coverage area, the mobile subscriber incurs additional charges for accessing and changing his service features outside his home coverage area.
There are several disadvantages in the existing system, given the limitations of a mobile subscriber to access and change his service features from another source other than his mobile station. First, if the battery goes dead in his mobile station, the subscriber loses the ability to communicate through the cellular network. In addition, since there is no capability to access the subscriber's service features from another instrument other than his mobile station, the subscriber loses flexibility in changing his features. Also, if the subscriber moves outside his home coverage area, the subscriber loses the ability to access and change his service features without incurring additional charges for accessing and changing his service features outside the subscriber's home coverage area.
Although there are no known prior art teachings of a solution to the aforementioned deficiency and shortcoming such as that disclosed herein, a prior art reference that discusses subject matter that bears some relation to matters discussed herein is U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,082 to Zicker. This reference is discussed briefly below.
Zicker discloses a system for allowing remote access to cellular telephone programming through the Pubic Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The system includes a Remotely Accessible Cellular Telephone (RACT) and a host system for managing a multiplicity of such RACTs. The RACT can be configured either as a cellular telephone itself, or as a kit which combines with a conventional cellular telephone to form a RACT. The RACT includes a signal detection circuit configured to detect a unique identifying signal that the host system generates and is not commonly found in conventional data communication traffic. Zicker discloses a system which changes internal parameters in a cellular telephone remotely through the PSTN. Certain parameters are changed within the cellular phone itself, in order to enable the cellular phone to receive the remote programming. Zicker does not disclose a system or method for remotely changing the service features of a mobile subscriber without utilizing a mobile telephone to request the changes to the service features.
A method and system is needed that enables a subscriber to change his subscriber service features from a source other than the subscriber's mobile station.
It would be a distinct advantage to have a system and method for changing subscriber service features in a radio telecommunications network. It is an object of the present invention to provide such a system and method.